Ren'Py Serenia [Development Thread][NSFW Fantasy RPG][2D Art]

[Dotonbori Technologies]

Changing topics here to ask a question on AI Art:


Over the last few years, I’ve seen a wide range of opinions on AI art being used across different mediums. Most people seem to be either opposed or neutral, with very few expressing excitement about consuming AI-generated art. Some even go as far as to call it offensive, soulless, or “not real art.”


I can understand the anti–AI art perspective and even share some of the same feelings. There’s no denying that some AI art is low-effort and feels soulless.


However, as someone who has been building a game with AI art for around two years, I can’t agree that simply using AI art automatically invalidates the “art” in my work. Even if you write off the art assets, a game involves so much more—programming, story, design, and even animation (in my case, done manually in After Effects). And even when using AI, there’s still a lot of artistic direction involved—world building, scene composition, storyboarding, and guiding the tools toward a vision. Surely, there are multiple places where creativity can shine through?


Anyway, all of this brings me to my main question: What do you all think about AI art in games?

• Would you immediately write off a game if it used AI-generated art?
• Why or why not?

(As a side note - I know a lot of the old art I shared still included some bad AI (fragment, bad fingers, etc)- much been fixed in and will share updated versions soon)

For me, most AI art looks the same. I don't know why, but I like to play games where the art is drawn by an artist - I admire their craftmanship. I am not opposed to using AI for your art assets (it's a LOT cheaper than commissioning an artist), but it's just not for me.

Blindly hating everything made with AI is stupid, but I understand people who have a preference for non-generated art. I wish you the best of luck with your game!

 

[h4x.x]

Changing topics here to ask a question on AI Art:


Over the last few years, I’ve seen a wide range of opinions on AI art being used across different mediums. Most people seem to be either opposed or neutral, with very few expressing excitement about consuming AI-generated art. Some even go as far as to call it offensive, soulless, or “not real art.”


I can understand the anti–AI art perspective and even share some of the same feelings. There’s no denying that some AI art is low-effort and feels soulless.


However, as someone who has been building a game with AI art for around two years, I can’t agree that simply using AI art automatically invalidates the “art” in my work. Even if you write off the art assets, a game involves so much more—programming, story, design, and even animation (in my case, done manually in After Effects). And even when using AI, there’s still a lot of artistic direction involved—world building, scene composition, storyboarding, and guiding the tools toward a vision. Surely, there are multiple places where creativity can shine through?


Anyway, all of this brings me to my main question: What do you all think about AI art in games?

• Would you immediately write off a game if it used AI-generated art?
• Why or why not?

(As a side note - I know a lot of the old art I shared still included some bad AI (fragment, bad fingers, etc)- much been fixed in and will share updated versions soon)

This AI Hate trend is growing now because AI is more accessible, and soon, everyone will use it in some form. It’s inevitable that some people will still prefer doing things manually and avoid AI altogether. However, what truly matters isn’t the tools used but the quality of the final product and whether the end user or player enjoys it.

As you’ve seen, there are many ways to use this technology, and each approach impacts the end result differently. For example, players enjoy AVNs that use the same assets, such as Daz models, because ultimately, quality isn’t just about the assets themselves, it’s about the overall experience.

By the way, congratulations on your game! It looks very deep and well-made. I’ve noticed you’re using After Effects for the animations, and they’re really impressive. I’ll look into learning it for my own project. Thanks!

 

[OffWhite Studios]

For me, most AI art looks the same. I don't know why, but I like to play games where the art is drawn by an artist - I admire their craftmanship. I am not opposed to using AI for your art assets (it's a LOT cheaper than commissioning an artist), but it's just not for me.

Blindly hating everything made with AI is stupid, but I understand people who have a preference for non-generated art. I wish you the best of luck with your game!

Thanks and I can respect that opinion. I think I feel that same way, in that I enjoy art made by artist more than AI (most of the time). For me, and others I imagine, it lowered the barrier to entry and made it possible to jump into game making for the first time. That’s why when I see a game with AI assists don’t automatically think “this is replacing an artist” and rather “This game wouldn’t exist without AI”. I now have more options and there is more opportunity in the space.

I may never hire an artist for my game, but I could imagine (if it’s successful), hiring a VA, animator, etc. If not for AI I may not have had the chance to make this game and commission other down the line, etc.

 

[OffWhite Studios]

This AI Hate trend is growing now because AI is more accessible, and soon, everyone will use it in some form. It’s inevitable that some people will still prefer doing things manually and avoid AI altogether. However, what truly matters isn’t the tools used but the quality of the final product and whether the end user or player enjoys it.

As you’ve seen, there are many ways to use this technology, and each approach impacts the end result differently. For example, players enjoy AVNs that use the same assets, such as Daz models, because ultimately, quality isn’t just about the assets themselves, it’s about the overall experience.

By the way, congratulations on your game! It looks very deep and well-made. I’ve noticed you’re using After Effects for the animations, and they’re really impressive. I’ll look into learning it for my own project. Thanks!

Thank you for your comment!

As for AE, I find it perfect for making short animated loops. I basically only need to learn the puppet pin tool and some commands like “easy ease” to smooth out motion. If you’re looking to make what’s basically an animated GIF, I think it’s a great tool with a pretty easy learning curve (for that basic use case). For me, I just chop up my still image in photoshop, segment them into parts, paint in the missing background, and then use puppet pins to create the animated loop. Quick and easy and really elevates the look above a still image I think.

 

[OffWhite Studios]

Hey everyone,


In my last few posts I’ve been talking a lot about the work I’ve been doing to update and polish different scenes, and I finally got around to sharing the updated art here. I went ahead and replaced a lot of the images from my original post with new ones, and I’ve also added some gifs. Please check it out and let me know what you think!


As for my progress, I’m actually making good time for once — I’m now about 50% of the way through my first polish pass, and I think I can get the other 50% done within the next few weeks. After that, the second and third playthrough/polish rounds should go fairly quickly, and it’s looking like I can probably release the game this year.


I’m also in a bit of a dilemma regarding some of my older animations. Some of them can be updated and upscaled pretty easily, while others would take quite a bit of time and effort—possibly requiring me to redo them entirely.


Here’s where I’d love your input: if you were releasing a game, would you want every single animation at top consistent quality? Or, if some were maybe 70% of your best work (slightly lower resolution, a little messier), would you still keep them for the sake of content?


Personally, I can really see the line between my earlier animations—made with older hardware and less skill—and where I’m at now, with better tools and more experience. It does bother me a bit. At the same time, those older animations used to meet my standard back then, so maybe players will still find them fine today?


I just want to get this game out, but I also want it to look consistent. What would you do in this situation?


Thanks as always for the feedback!

 

[h4x.x]

Hey everyone,


In my last few posts I’ve been talking a lot about the work I’ve been doing to update and polish different scenes, and I finally got around to sharing the updated art here. I went ahead and replaced a lot of the images from my original post with new ones, and I’ve also added some gifs. Please check it out and let me know what you think!


As for my progress, I’m actually making good time for once — I’m now about 50% of the way through my first polish pass, and I think I can get the other 50% done within the next few weeks. After that, the second and third playthrough/polish rounds should go fairly quickly, and it’s looking like I can probably release the game this year.


I’m also in a bit of a dilemma regarding some of my older animations. Some of them can be updated and upscaled pretty easily, while others would take quite a bit of time and effort—possibly requiring me to redo them entirely.


Here’s where I’d love your input: if you were releasing a game, would you want every single animation at top consistent quality? Or, if some were maybe 70% of your best work (slightly lower resolution, a little messier), would you still keep them for the sake of content?


Personally, I can really see the line between my earlier animations—made with older hardware and less skill—and where I’m at now, with better tools and more experience. It does bother me a bit. At the same time, those older animations used to meet my standard back then, so maybe players will still find them fine today?


I just want to get this game out, but I also want it to look consistent. What would you do in this situation?


Thanks as always for the feedback!

They look great! get out there, listen to feedback, and take action based on it. You already have animations (and they're great from my perspective) so just release the game and start building your community.